The present invention relates to interactive display systems, and particularly to interactive systems utilizing television receivers.
Interactive display systems utilizing television receivers are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 3,829,095, entitled xe2x80x9cMethod of Employing a Television Receiver for Active Participation,xe2x80x9d for an invention of Baer, discloses a control unit 14 having an output coupled to the antenna input of a television receiver. A device 129, coupled to an input of the control unit 14, is attached by a suction cup to the face of the television""s CRT at the bottom center, and includes a photocell and a pickup coil. A white stripe is placed at the bottom of the CRT by a cooperative television station, and the device 120 is used to obtain vertical and horizontal sync signals for use by the control unit 14 to provide an output to the television receiver that is synchronized with the signal of the cooperative television station. The control unit then can be used for training simulation, playing games, and other purposes.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,993,861, entitled xe2x80x9cDigital Video Modulation and Demodulation System,xe2x80x9d also for an invention of Baer, discloses a system broadly similar to that described in the previous paragraph, wherein there is generated a television picture signal that in addition to the usual video content has a data content provided as video information in one or more selected areas or cells of the picture. This composite television picture signal may be provided via prerecorded video tape or disc directly coupled to a television receiver or broadcast or distributed over a cable television system. The data are provided as binary-coded, digital brightness modulation at rates exceeding the vertical picture field rate. Col. 2, lines 24-29. At the television receiver are positioned one or more light sensors opposite the cells, and the sensor outputs are sent to a decoder. Col. 2, lines 29-31; col. 2, line 66 to col. 3, line 6; col. 7, lines 13-25. The light sensor may be held in place by a suction cup. Col. 2, lines 66-68. The decoder may be equipped with a numerical display or an LED indicator (to show xe2x80x9cCORRECTxe2x80x9d/xe2x80x9cYESxe2x80x9d) to provide a response indication to a viewer""s solutions to quiz questions. Col. 7, lines 20-25. (Alternatively, the decoded signal may be applied to external equipment, such as a calculator, computer, tape recorder, CRT display, or a hard copy machine. Col. 2, lines 34-40; col. 9, lines 56-61.) In operation of the system, the digital data received by the light sensor is stored in the decoder, col 7, lines 26-31. The stored data is compared for a match with previously stored data, and may indicate the correct solution of a quiz question, for example. Col 7, lines 31-39. The implication is therefore that a user input may be provided to the decoder (pertinent to the information or questions being displayed on the television screen) and that the data from the user input may be compared with the data, received by the light sensor, that are provided by the program source to the television. The system may be used for purposes that include interactive training, teaching, and entertainment. Col. 1, lines 6-7 and 25-57; col. 9, lines 54-56.
See also U.S. Pat. No. 3,737,566, entitled xe2x80x9cTelevision Coder and Decoder,xe2x80x9d and U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,700, entitled xe2x80x9cOptical Decoder,xe2x80x9d both for inventions of Baer.
The patents described in this section, and the patents referenced by such patents, are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
In various embodiments, the present invention provides improvements over the systems described above. In one set of embodiments, there is provided an interactive display system, for use with (i) a program source having a video output signal and a digital data stream output, the digital data stream being modulated on the video output signal, and (ii) a monitor in communication with the program source for displaying the output, the display system. In a first embodiment, the system includes:
a. a data decoder, for separating the digital data stream from the video output signal;
b. a viewer control box having
i. a user input for receiving user selections;
ii. a data input in communication with the decoder for receiving the digital data stream; and
iii. a program execution module in communication with the user input and the data input; and
c. a visual status display, removably attachable to the monitor, in communication with the program execution module, for displaying the current state of the module.
In a related embodiment the data decoder may include a light detector that is removably attachable to the monitor and the visual status display is mounted on the detector.
In a second embodiment of the set, the system includes:
a. a data decoder, for separating the digital data stream from the video output signal;
b. a viewer control box having
i. a user input for receiving user selections;
ii. a data input in communication with the decoder for receiving the digital data stream; and
iii. a program execution module in communication with the user input and the data input; and
c. an audio transducer in communication with the program execution module, wherein the program execution module includes an arrangement for determining an audio output that is configured by the digital data stream output and responsive to the user selections.
In a further embodiment, the viewer control box includes a visual status display in communication with the program execution module for displaying the current state of the module.
In a third embodiment of the set, the system includes:
a. a data decoder, for separating the digital data stream from the video output signal;
b. a viewer control box having
i. a user input for receiving user selections;
ii. a data input in communication with the decoder for receiving the digital data stream; and
iii. a program execution module in communication with the user input and the data input, wherein the program execution module includes an arrangement for scoring user selections and providing a score output; and
iv. a data transmitter for transmitting the score output to a remote location.
In a fourth embodiment, the system includes:
a. a data decoder, for separating the digital data stream from the video output signal;
b. a viewer control box having
i. a user input for receiving user selections;
ii. a data input in communication with the decoder for receiving the digital data stream; and
iii. an authentication arrangement for decrypting an authentication code that has been modulated on a portion of the video output signal associated with the program source and comparing the authentication code with a reference for authenticating the program source; and
iv. a program execution module in communication with the user input and the data input.
In a similar embodiment, the authentication arrangement decrypts an authentication code that has been recorded on the case of a video storage medium associated with the program source and compares the authentication code with a reference for authenticating the program source. Both embodiments can be combined, so that decrypted code on the case is compared with the decrypted code that has been modulated on a portion of the video output signal.
In all of the foregoing embodiments, the program source may be a video storage medium, such as a video cassette or a CD-ROM. The monitor may be conveniently realized as the display of a television receiver connected to a video cassette recorder or to a CD-ROM player.
In a related set of embodiments, there is provided a video storage medium on which has been recorded video information for use with systems of the above general type. The video information is so arranged in a first embodiment that the video storage medium in a video player device produces:
a. a video output signal;
b. a digital data stream, the digital data stream being modulated on the video output signal and capable of being separated from the video output signal by a data decoder, the digital data stream providing interaction data for configuring a program pursuant to which are made user selections; and
c. audio data, included in the digital data stream output, for configuring an audio output that is responsive to the user selections.
In a second embodiment, the video information is so arranged that when the video storage medium is utilized in a video player device, the device produces:
a. a video output signal;
b. a digital data stream, the digital data stream being modulated on the video output signal and capable of being separated from the video output signal by a data decoder, the digital data stream providing interaction data for configuring a program pursuant to which are made user selections; and
c. an authentication code magnetically encoded on the housing of the video storage medium.
Alternatively, or in addition an authentication code may be modulated on a portion of the video output signal on which the digital data stream is modulated, so that the authentication code is received by the data decoder. The storage medium of the embodiments having an authentication code may be further implemented in a manner wherein the video information is so arranged that when the video storage medium is utilized in a video player device, the device produces audio data, included in the digital data stream output, for configuring an audio output that is responsive to the user selections.